Watching the 1998 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, I've been struck by how quickly a team on the rise can unravel.
The Hornets looked poised for championship runs after starting the '90s by landing Kendall Gill, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning with top-five picks in consecutive years. They also had a decent group of supporting veterans in Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry, Johnny Newman, J.R. Reid and David Wingate.
Kendall has told me on many occasions that one of the biggest regrets in his career was leaving that up-and-coming team in a trade that sent him to Seattle in September 1993.